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Let Chinese Heavy Trucks Run All over Africa

Author ：Heavy Duty Truck     Add Time ： 2022-06.16     PV ：

On May 27, Wang Qingyang flew to West Africa, more than 10,000 kilometers away. Three days ago, Sinotruk raised its annual export target to 80,000 vehicles, an increase of 60% year-on-year. Africa is SINOTRUK's largest overseas market. As the chief representative of SINOTRUK in Nigeria, Wang Qingyang feels that he has a heavy responsibility on his shoulders. Since the 1970s, when 731 "Yellow River" heavy trucks served the Tanzania-Zambia Railway, Chinese trucks have made great contributions to the construction of infrastructure in Africa. Today, relying on local partners, Sinotruk has set up a number of assembly factories, the first of which is Dangote, Nigeria, Sinotruk West Africa Co., Ltd. As a "Belt and Road" cooperation project, the first-phase assembly line of this joint venture plant has assembled nearly 10,000 vehicles since 2017. 

Overgob Collins is a skilled worker on the assembly line of the factory. Before entering the factory, he didn't even know how to use tools. After systematic training with Chinese characteristics such as mentoring, technical competition, etc., his assembly skills, Chinese proficiency has been greatly improved, and this job has also given his family a stable living guarantee. There are about 200 workers like Overgob Collins in this joint venture. Although the language and culture are different, the employees of the two countries have established a deep friendship in the cooperation from the unfamiliar to the familiar.

"The second phase of the project is planned to be put into use at the end of this year, and it is expected to add another 150 direct jobs to the local area." Wang Qingyang said that in 2021, Sinotruk's orders in Africa will exceed 40,000 vehicles, an increase of 85.9% year-on-year. 

The reporter learned that 60% of the heavy trucks running in Africa are from Sinotruk, Sinotruk has been in the top domestic heavy truck export for 17 consecutive years. Behind this is a group of young people with an average age of less than 30 years old, who have traveled across the ocean to take root in Africa, making Chinese brands "go global". They are the outstanding representatives of many overseas working teams in our province: The Africa Department of Sinotruk International Co., Ltd.

On the afternoon of November 18 last year, Sinotruk's Morocco office received a call from the dealer: the two tractors that had just been delivered, the user reported abnormal fuel consumption data. Peng Yue, director of the Morocco office, learned that the two heavy trucks were being loaded at this time and would return to Western Sahara, 1,100 kilometers away, in six hours. He immediately drove to the scene with engineer Wang Chao. The driver was found before dark, Wang Chao got into the truck, and Peng Yue followed him the whole way. After 21 hours of long-distance follow-up data collection and rigorous calculations, the user's doubts were dispelled. The team owner gave a thumbs up to the Chinese service and invited Peng Yue and Wang Chao to have lunch.

Last year, the Africa Department of Sinotruk International Limited built 27 post-station service points along the main routes of African transnational logistics to further improve the service level.

In Africa, infectious diseases are common. "Every resident employee, including me, has had malaria, and some were bitten by poisonous insects." Wang Qingyang said that due to the limited local health and medical conditions, minor illnesses often face life-threatening.

Li Zilin, 24, is a "recruit" in Mozambique. On the seventh day of the first lunar month in 2021, she boarded the plane "fully armed" despite the epidemic. As soon as she landed, the heat wave hit people. From the cold winter to the sweltering heat, the protective clothing became a water bag, and the cuffs were sweaty. The weak woman who wanted to go home at that time has been working in the local area for 16 months. She and her colleagues climbed oil tanks, drilled under the car, translated and repaired. She was used to eating in cafeterias and ordering takeaways in China, but she just became a "master chef".